Maldives
Seaplane or speedboat in the Maldives: choosing your transfer
You land in Malé after a night on the plane, and the resort is somewhere out among the atolls. Whether you are there for lunch or sitting on a bench until the next morning comes down to one thing: how you get out there.
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In short: seaplane or speedboat in the Maldives
The speedboat is the easier option, because it can run after dark and so fit around whenever your flight lands or leaves Malé. You avoid long waits. The seaplane is an experience in its own right, with the atolls spread out below, but it only flies in daylight. Land in the evening or fly home early in the morning and you may wait for hours. Always check the transfer before you book your flights.
Editor's first choice: Gili Lankanfushi, twenty minutes by speedboat from the airport, whenever you land. Check availability and prices
Speedboat: flexible around the clock
The resorts in the North and South Malé atolls are close enough to the airport to collect you by speedboat. The boat waits at the jetty outside arrivals, and the crossing takes anything from fifteen minutes to just under an hour. What matters most is that speedboats can run once it is dark. Land late in the evening and you still sleep at the resort that night. If your flight home leaves early, you can spend the last night on the island and take the boat back in good time.
The drawback is the sea. During the southwest monsoon, from May to November, the swell can make the ride bumpy. If you get seasick easily, choose a resort with a short crossing.
Seaplane: the view, but only by day
Resorts in the outer atolls are reached by seaplane. For many travellers this is their first real sight of the Maldives: lagoons, reefs and tiny islands passing beneath, then a landing beside a floating pontoon off the resort. The flight usually takes thirty minutes to an hour, and the plane may stop at other resorts on the way.
Seaplanes land on water and fly only in daylight, so your arrival in Malé has to fit their schedule. Many seaplane resorts ask that your international flight lands no later than early afternoon, and that your flight home leaves no earlier than around midday. Land after that and you will spend a night in Malé or on Hulhumalé. With an early flight home, you often have to leave the resort the day before. Even when the times work, expect a couple of hours in the seaplane terminal before the next departure.
Luggage allowances are also stricter than on ordinary flights. Ask the resort what applies before you pack.
Domestic flight and speedboat
The far southern and northern atolls are served by domestic flights from Malé, with a speedboat for the final stretch. For some resorts this is an alternative to the seaplane, with different departure times. It can solve the problem of an international flight that lands too late for the seaplane, although you change transport more than once.
How to plan the transfer
Find out which transfer the resort uses before you book your flights.
With a seaplane: choose a flight that lands in Malé in the morning and leaves for home in the afternoon.
With a speedboat: book any flights you like, overnight ones included.
Ask whether the resort has a lounge in Malé in case you have to wait.
The resorts, by transfer
Gili Lankanfushi
Gili Lankanfushi's villas stand far out in the lagoon, and the largest can only be reached by boat.
Gili Lankanfushi: speedboat, twenty minutes
Gili Lankanfushi is so close to the airport that the crossing is over before you have taken your jacket off. Every villa stands over the lagoon. It is a sound choice when your flight lands late or leaves early.
Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru
Vabbinfaru's villas have a canopy bed and their own beach right outside the door.
Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru: speedboat, around twenty minutes
This small, round island in North Malé Atoll has its own marine laboratory and a house reef all the way around. A short crossing and no waiting make it a good pick for a shorter trip.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Conrad's overwater villas stand out in the South Ari lagoon.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island: seaplane to South Ari
Conrad spreads across two islands in South Ari Atoll, around half an hour from Malé by seaplane. This is home to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, a glass room five metres below the surface where fish swim over the tables. Picolo recommends both the restaurant and the resort. Plan your flights around the seaplane so you make it to dinner under the sea.
Milaidhoo
Milaidhoo's villas sit close to the beach, with the lagoon right in front.
Milaidhoo: seaplane to Baa
Milaidhoo lies in Baa Atoll, close to Hanifaru Bay, where manta rays gather through summer and autumn. Every villa has its own pool, and the seaplane gives you the whole atoll from above before you land.
Six Senses Laamu
Villas at Six Senses Laamu have a deck with a pool right above the lagoon.
Six Senses Laamu: domestic flight and speedboat
Laamu lies far to the south: you fly domestic to Kadhdhoo and a speedboat covers the last stretch. The journey is longer, but this is also one of the quietest places in the Maldives.
Our recommendation
Jawakara Islands: warmly recommended by Picolo
Jawakara Islands is an excellent resort that Picolo recommends without hesitation, and we have stayed there ourselves. It sits in Lhaviyani Atoll across two islands, Mabin and Dheru, joined by a long bridge over the house reef with a restaurant halfway along. We stayed in a bungalow with its own pool, ate well in the restaurants, played golf and tennis, and dived with turtles and dolphins. We also took the fast boat, around an hour and a half, to 5.8 Undersea Restaurant at Hurawalhi, where you dine 5.8 metres below the surface. You arrive by seaplane, or by domestic flight and speedboat when the timings do not suit.
Questions and answers
Can seaplanes fly in the dark in the Maldives?
No. Seaplanes land on water and fly only in daylight. If your international flight lands late in the afternoon or in the evening, you will usually need to spend the night in Malé or on Hulhumalé and take the seaplane the next morning. Speedboats, by contrast, can run after dark, so resorts in the Malé atolls can collect you whenever you land.
How long do you wait for a seaplane?
It varies, but allow one to two hours in the seaplane terminal after landing. Seaplanes often gather guests for several resorts on the same departure. If you land late in the day, the wait can stretch to a whole night, because the next departure is not until the following morning.
Which is better, seaplane or speedboat?
The speedboat is better if you want flexible flight times and as little waiting as possible, because it also runs after dark. The seaplane is better as an experience, with views across the atolls, but your flight times have to fit the daylight. If you choose a seaplane resort, book your flights around the transfer.
Do you get seasick on the speedboat?
It can happen during the southwest monsoon, from May to November, when the swell is bigger. Most speedboat transfers to resorts in the Malé atolls take less than an hour, and many only twenty minutes. If you are prone to seasickness, choose a resort close to the airport and ask about conditions before you travel.
Can you choose your own transfer?
Some resorts offer both a seaplane and a domestic flight with speedboat, and then you can pick whichever fits your flight times. Resorts in the Malé atolls use speedboats. Ask the resort before you book your flights so you know which arrival and departure times work, and ask what happens if your flight is delayed.